To the saints honour must be paid as friends of Christ, as sons and heirs of God: in the words of John the theologian and evangelist, As many as received Him, to them gave He power to became sons of God St. John i. 12.. So that they are no longer servants, but sons: and if sons, also heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ Gal. iv. 7; Rom. viii. 17.: and the Lord in the holy Gospels says to His apostles, Ye are My friends St. John xv. 14.. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth Ibid. 15.. And further, if the Creator and Lord of all things is called also King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. xix. 16. and God of Gods, surely also the saints are gods and lords and kings. For of these God is and is called God and Lord and King. For I am the God of Abraham, He said to Moses, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob Ex. iii. 6.. And God made Moses a god to Pharaoh Ibid. vii. 1.. Now I mean gods and kings and lords not in nature, but as rulers and masters of their passions, and as preserving a truthful likeness to the divine image according to which they were made (for the image of a king is also called king), and as being united to God of their own free-will and receiving Him as an indweller and becoming by grace through participation with Him what He is Himself by nature. Surely, then, the worshippers and friends and sons of God are to be held in honour? For the honour shewn to the most thoughtful of fellow-servants is a proof of good feeling towards the common Master Basil, Orat. in 40 Martyr..